This invention relates generally to improvements in water coolers of the type adapted to receive and support a water bottle in an inverted position over a cooler reservoir, and to selectively dispense water from the reservoir. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved reservoir and realted faucet assembly designed for periodic reservoir removal from the water cooler to permit reservoir cleaning, wherein the reservoir is equipped with a check valve which prevents water spillage upon disassembly of a faucet preparatory to removal of the reservoir from the cooler.
Bottled water coolers in general are well-known in the art for containing a supply of relatively purified water in a convenient manner and location ready for substantially immediate dispensing and use. Such bottled water coolers commonly include an upwardly open reservoir mounted within a cooler housing adapted to receive and support an inverted water bottle of typically three to five gallon capacity. The water within the bottle flows downwardly into the reservoir for selective dispensing therefrom through a faucet valve located in an accessible position on the front of the cooler housing. Such bottled water coolers are widely used to provide a clean and safe source of water for drinking and cooking, especially in areas where the local water supply is suspected to contain undesired levels of contaminants.
In many bottled water coolers, a refrigeration system is mounted within the cooler housing and includes a chiller coil or probe for maintaining water within the reservoir in a chilled condition. In other configurations, the reservoir is subdivided into distinct chambers, one of which is associated with the refrigeration system, whereas another chamber contains unrefrigerated water substantially at room temperature. In some cases, an additional chamber is provided in association with a heating element to provide a supply of hot water. In bottled water coolers of the multichamber type, separate dispenser faucets are provided in flow communication with the respective water chambers to permit separate dispensing of the water at the different temperatures.
In recent years, it has been recognized that there is a periodic need to clean the reservoir of a bottled water cooler. In this regard, bottled water coolers have been developed to permit relatively quick and easy reservoir removal from the cooler housing for cleaning purposes. Reservoir removal is normally accomplished by removing the faucet or faucets which are mounted on the reservoir and protrude from the front of the cooler housing, followed by sliding lift-out removal of the reservoir from the cooler housing. However, since the faucets are normally installed within faucet fittings located near the bottom of the reservoir, faucet removal will be accompanied by water spillage unless the reservoir is first drained of water.
The present invention provides an improved removable reservoir for a bottled water cooler, wherein each faucet fitting is equipped with a check valve that closes when the associated faucet is removed and thereby prevents water spillage from the reservoir through the faucet fitting. The faucet or faucets can thus be removed from the reservoir without requiring drainage of water therefrom, so that the reservoir can be removed for cleaning.